Help:Actions
This page lists potential actions in LoC that consume PP, gives an in-depth description of those actions, notes any rules that apply, and lists several examples. If you are unsure of what Actions, PP, or LoC are, please see the page. =Warning= As all actions add something to the world and setting, it is required that these actions be reflected in the wikia as well as in-game. "Reflected in the wikia" simply means that if a participant creates a race, a page for that race should be created on the wikia stating who created them and either referencing a WotC source regarding that race or, if homebrewn, giving a brief description of their appearance and culture (a paragraph or two is splendid). Additionally, that page should have the proper category tags applied. The same goes for beasts, artifacts, exarchs, planes, etc. This allows other participants and gamemasters (who might be interested in running a campaign in the LoC world) to understand what these creatures or things are and be able to interact with them. =Brief List of Actions= The following list provides a brief summary of the various actions. * 0PP Cantrip - This action can produce a variety of low-level or temporary effects. * 1PP Attack God - Increases the strength of one's attack on another God. See the * 1PP Nourish - This action causes the target to thrive and prosper. * 1PP Command - This causes the target to perform, adopt, or discover a particular type of behavior. * 1PP Mold (Minor) - This creates or modifies a small amount of land, water, or similar substance. * 1PP Harm - The opposite of the Nourish action, this brings calamity to the target. * 1PP Spawn - This creates a creature that could present a threat to a PC. * 1PP Forge (Lesser) - This creates a powerful magical item of limited power. These artifacts only serve to aid mortals or to affect a small area of the world. * 2PP Mold (Major) - This creates or modifies a moderate amount of land, water, or similar substance. * 2PP Craft (Minor) - This creates an avatar or a pocket demiplane. * 2PP Forge (Moderate) - This creates a powerful magical item of intermediate power. These artifacts have a relatively minor use for gods, or they may affect a moderate portion of the world, or they may be structural artifacts. * 2PP Fashion - Create a new domains, either passive or active. * 2PP Beget (Minor) - Brings a new God into existence * 3PP Beget (Major) - This creates a being of divine origin, usually an exarch and rarely a mortal hero. * 3PP Forge (Greater) - This creates some inanimate object of divine nature (aka, an artifact) that is capable of influencing mortals and the world in general. These artifacts can produce PP or combat bonuses * 3PP Shape - This creates a race of civilized beings. * 4PP Craft (Major) - This creates an alternate plane of existence. * XPP Alter - This modifies an existing thing and turns it into something else. This action usually creates a 1pp savings on a chosen action but comes with stipulations. =Action Descriptions= The following provides in-depth information regarding each action. Cantrip - 0 PP Cantrips are a variety of low-level actions that do not cost actual PP. These are either minor or temporary actions. Generally, anything that is less powerful than a regular action could potentially be a cantrip. A god might create a babbling brook, or a few rabbits, etc. These are permanent affects, but anything that is created for free can also be destroyed for free. Alternately a god's presence might cause crops to thrive, resulting in a nourish for the area. Or they might cause a stone pillar to arise so that they can survey the land. As soon as the god leaves, however, the effects also leave and the area returns to normal. Nourish - 1 PP This action causes the target of the action to thrive and prosper. Targets can include creatures, land, nations, etc. When land is created, it is barren-- devoid of life and lacking general resources. The nourish adds ecosystems to that land. It may also add resources that are not part of the general ecosystem but which may benefit mortals (such as ore, gems, etc). Likewise, when a population is created, usually only a handful of creatures are present. The nourish action might cause them to reproduce, have plenty of food, accumulate wealth, etc. Examples Thor, lord of Thunder, went to war against the frost giants. With his hammer, Mjolnir, he slew countless foes and their shattered bodies fell to earth as snow. As the bodies decayed and the snow melted, the land was renewed and would provide bounty for those living on it. When Hermes killed Argos of the Many Eyes he plucked out each and hide them in the earth. In time men found them and called them gems, for they were like stones and of great beauty. Other Considerations A nourish doesn't have a set effect. That is, nourishing a populace wont cause it to gain a certain number of citizens, nor can two nations be directly compared by the number of nourishes they have. Generally a single nourish wont cause a hamlet to suddenly become a metropolis, but the specifics are usually left up to individual players. Command - 1 PP This instructs the target in a matter of divine will. While the target of this action is usually sentient creatures (such gnomes or humans), non-sentient creatures and even inanimate objects can be affected by this. When the first sentient population is created in the world, they know very little-- just enough to survive in the wild (they are effectively a hunter-gatherer society) The gods use this action to develop the cultures and accentuate the diversities of the mortals that they have created. Gods may also directly communicate their will to mortals through this action, causing them to migrate, go to war, or sue for peace. This can also be used to cause a race or nation to become well known for a particular set of skills. When animals or monsters are commanded, they can adopt migratory patterns or specific, yet simple, behaviors. When inanimate objects are commanded, it could set up natural laws of the universe, or it could force the objects to act contrary to their assumed behavior (for example, a waterfall might be commanded to flow upwards). Examples In early times mortals did not know how to create or use fire; this was a tool of the gods. Yet Prometheus, one of the gods, took pity on those below and stole fire to give to them. Aule crafted the dwarf lords in ages long since passed, yet he gave them to Eru who put them to sleep until the time for his children came. When at last the elves woke, and then in turn the dwarves, Aule instructed them in many things, including the Valar who created Middle Earth and resided in the undying lands. The Israelites fled Egypt and slavery, but the armies of Pharaoh pursued them. Then, the Israelites came to the Sea of Reeds and there they could go no further. The power of God blew down and instructed the sea to part so that they Israelites might cross on dry ground. Other Considerations While it isn't necessary to spend PP to teach every basic technology to a culture, it is frowned upon if a player creates a race and assumes that they are already at the same technological and sociological level as other races in the game. Technologies or the sort that might not be present in a normal setting (airships, for example) should be specifically noted in the Wikia-- likewise with homebrewn classes. Mold (Minor) - 1 PP The Mold action serves to create or alter existing landforms. This can raise a mountain out of a continent or cause an island to rise from the ocean floor. Land is the target of this action. When the game begins, there is nothing in existence. The first gods must create the world itself. They use this action to create valleys, bays, mountains, volcanoes, etc. Examples Poseidon became angry and he struck the island. That which he had raised from the depths of the ocean return to the depths. The mountain he raised became a valley and it was swallowed in water. Morgoth fled from the undying lands and returned to his broken fortress. Above the gates he errected a mountain, the Iron Hill. Other Considerations To note, causing land fall on top of a nation in order to destroy it requires both a Harm action and a Mold action. Harm - 1 PP This action causes calamity to befall an area. It will cause fire to rain from the sky, disease to sweep through a population, floods to cover the land, drought to destroy crops in the field, etc. The targets of this action are the same as the targets for the Nourish action. Examples Apollo heard the lament of Chryses, his priest, and he rained down a pestilence upon the Greeks with his arrows of disease. The Greeks became sick and could not move from where they happened to lie. And God became angry with the Egyptians and caused the waters of the Nile to turn to blood, and throughout all of Egypt, so that the land stank with decay. Spawn - 1 PP This action produces creatures and monsters; anything that is not a civilized race but can still offer a combat challenge to a group of adventurers falls into this category. This action does not have a target but rather a product. The gods not only create the land but the inhabitants of the land as well. Not all of the inhabitants are creatures one would desire to run into. Mundane creatures, such as rabbits or ants, are created via the nourish action. Examples Athena became angry at Poseidon and Medusa for defiling her temple. She struck Medusa with a curse, causing her beauty to fade away. Her form became twisted, like that of a snake, and her hair fell out, being replaced by a writing mane of serpents. She was so foul that any who looked upon her might be turned to stone. Other Considerations The difference between a creature produced by this action and one produced by the nourish action is the creature's general threat level. Any creature, no matter how mystical and fantastical it might be, that is not a threat to an adventurer is produced via the Nourish Action. Anything that could be a threat is a Spawn Action, unless the creature is a civilized race-- in which case, it is the Shape Action. Forge (Lesser) - 1 PP A god creates an minor, inanimate object of divine or metaphysical nature out of nothing. It is appropriate for a mortal hero or as an artifact that affects a small localized area of space. It is NOT appropriate for Godly use. Examples Working for a night, the god Hephaestus forged a suit of Armor that made its way to the Mighty Hercules, who used it to strike fear in all his foes. Other Considerations This action creates divine artifacts, such as the Hand and Eye of Vecna or the Axe of Dwarven Lords, which can be used to direct mortals or effect the world in some way. When an artifact is created its effects on the world/those who hold it should be clearly established, although a formal stat-block is not required. Please see the rule page for more information. Mold (Major) - 2 PP A more powerful version of the Mold (Minor) action. This, too, serves to create or alter existing landforms. This can raise a mountain range out of a continent or cause an archipelago to rise from the ocean floor. Land is the target of this action. Many of these actions put together would form a continent. When the game begins, there is nothing in existence. The first gods must create the world itself. Examples None Yet Other Considerations To note, causing land fall on top of a nation in order to destroy it requires both a Harm action and a Mold action. Craft (Minor) - 2 PP This action forms an Avatar so a god can interact with mortals. Avatars are mixes of divine and mundane materials. Alternately, it can create a new minor plane of existence as well. Examples Inside the mountain was a place that defied time and space, that seemed to twist the very nature of reality. Inside, The God of Tombs waited, secure in his home. Other Considerations An avatar is a physical manifestation of a god that can more-readily interact with mortals. With this, a god no longer needs to interact with the material world through the medium of exarchs or other servants. However, this also allows mortals the possibility of attacking or capturing that god. Please see the page for more information. Gods can only be in one place at a time. When a god is in avatar form, it cannot act in its divine form at the same time. Additionally, the form of the avatar must be stated upon creation. While it is possible to have minor alterations to the avatar's appearance over time (different eye color, shift in size within reason, etc), it cannot change from one thing to another. That is, it cannot be created as a six-headed dragon and then change into a human woman at the player's wish. Different physical forms require different actions. Minor planes are planes that exist "inside" other places, such as Demi-Planes in the natural world or Divine Domains in the Astral Sea. Forge (Moderate) - 2 PP A god creates a moderate inanimate object of divine or metaphysical nature out of nothing. This may be an artifact that influences the world and serves the god's purposes. The artifact straddles the god/mortal divine. Either it is a minor object for godly use or it is an artifact only for the most powerful of mortal champions. It can also be a structural artifact, such as a gate or a building that influences a larger area of the world. Examples Working day and night for a month, the god Hephaestus forged a helm of Invisibility, which he gave to Hades to wear. One day, Hades gave it to a mortal to slay a fearsome monster, but reclaimed it once the deed was done. Other Considerations This action creates divine artifacts, such as the Hand and Eye of Vecna or the Axe of Dwarven Lords, which can be used to direct mortals, combat other gods, or effect the world in general. When an artifact is created its effects on the world/those who hold it should be clearly established, although a formal stat-block is not required. Please see the rule page for more information. Fashion - 2 PP This creates a new domain, such as Water or Travel, that becomes fundamental to the universe. Examples None Yet Other Considerations This action creates a new domain or formalizes one and adds it to the creating god's portfolio, if the god has an open slot. Generally duplicate Active Domains are discouraged, but are possible. Duplicate passive domains are more common. Beget (Minor) - 2 PP A divine being creates another being of divine origin as an equal. Examples Odin went into Jord and in time the Giantess gave birth to Thor, who is called the Thunderer. He was counted as mighty among the gods. Other Considerations This action creates a new, fully independent god, which allows a new player to begin participating in the campaign-creating process. This is usually the only way for a new god to enter the game, but other possibilities exist. At the moment of creation, the god is assigned a domain (either one of the creator god's domains, which it subsequently looses control over, or a new domain entirely). This action also creates a familial bond between the creator god and the created god (with the latter essentially being the child of the former), although it is up to the players to determine how important this bond will be to the characters (if at all). Please see the page for more information. Beget (Major) - 3 PP A divine being creates another being of divine origin as a servant, or a mortal child of great renown. Examples Zeus disguised himself as Amphitryon and lay with Alcmene. In time she gave birth to Hercules, a hero of great renown. Venus and Mars come together in passion and from their congress was born Cupid, who came to serve his mother and spread love of beauty throughout the world. Other Considerations This action creates a divine servant that is under the control of the creator god/participant. These beings are called Exarchs. An Exarch provides additional roleplaying opportunities and they can interact with Mortals more easily than the gods themselves. Like artifacts, exarches follow similar rules and guidelines when it comes to PP-production for accomplishing certain actions. Please see the rule page for more information. Mortal heroes might also fall into this category, though they needn't necessarily be created this way. Forge (Greater) - 3 PP A god creates an Major inanimate object of divine or metaphysical nature out of nothing. These artifacts are NEVER appropriate for individual mortals to use, although sometimes they could be harnessed by groups. These artifacts are meant for gods to use and can even provide an extra PP to a specific task, if so desired. Examples Working day and night for countless years, the god Hephaestus forged a mighty chariot that could withstand the heat of the sun and the arduous climb of the sky. This he gave to Helios, who drives the chariot daily, so that the earth might have light. Other Considerations This action creates divine artifacts, such as the Hand and Eye of Vecna or the Axe of Dwarven Lords, that combat other gods or effect the world in general. When an artifact is created its effects on the world/those who hold it should be clearly established, although a formal stat-block is not required. Please see the rule page for more information. Shape - 3 PP This action creates a sentient race of creatures; they are apart from the dumb beasts of the field. They are capable of understanding the gods, mastering the world around them, and creating their own complex society. Examples Odin and his brothers came across a log and from that they fashioned a woman and a man. These two went out and produced all the people that now live today. Other Considerations This action creates a sparsely distributed populace in a single location. Races may be a single nation, or they may have several nations, or they may be part of other nations but have no centralized authority themselves. Players should attempt to develop a race's culture through RPing and the command/nourish actions. There is some overlap between the product of the Spawn and Shape actions. Devourers, Elementals, Harpies, NightWalkers, and Sphinx are all intelligent creatures, but would probably fit better as a spawn than a shape. For some, this might be because they don't form their own societies-- for others, it is because the flavor of the race is reduced if it is a common force in the world that others routinely and mundanely interact with. If you are unsure if something should be a Shape or a Spawn, ask an admin. More powerful populi have fewer people than weaker populi (making dragons might make 3 dozen dragons, but making goblins might make 6000 goblins). Craft (Major) - 4 PP This action creates an additional plane of existence. Examples In the beginning there was Ginnungagap, a great expanse between frigid Niflheim and burning Muspelheim. Odin and his brothers slew the Giant, Ymir, and from his body created the world that is. So was formed Midgard, the world of men, and Alfheim too, where the light-folk reside. Asgard and Jotunheim, also, were made, and other worlds too. Other Considerations This action can create additional planes of existence, such as the Feywild or Sigil. While the creating god may establish a general theme for the plane at the time of creation (such as making the Feywild a haven for wildlife and fey creatures, or in making the Plane of Fire full of heat and fire), any actually important features of the plane must be established using Actions and PP. Important: Once a plane has been created, any and all gods are entitled to help shape it if they so choose, though any and all gods should ideally support the pre-established theme. Alter - X PP The Alter action is unique in that it does not do anything by itself-- rather, it allows a god to change one thing into something else. A god may use this action to turn Elves into Eladrin, stones into Dwarves, or human into apes. It can also modify Artifacts and Exarchs. The PP cost for this action is determined by what the final product of the action is. The cost is the PP-1 expenditure of the resulting object as if it had been made with any other action. For example, turning humans into Dwarves would cost 2PP, as it costs 3PP to Shape a populace and this action grants a bonus. The minimum cost for an action is 1 PP. To receive this bonus, PP must have been spent on the original object ('' while dwarves could be altered from stone, in order to gain the 1 PP discount, those stones would have had to have been specifically created by PP at some point''). Other Considerations This action is creates a powerful in-game connection that should NOT be ignored. Elves and eladrin are not related unless one was created from the other using this action, but if they are related, that relation should influence both races. Altering mortal creatures does not eliminate the old creatures, but rather creates a new group. If Eladrin are altered into Elves, then there are still just as many Eladrin left, but now there is a group of Elves as well. Exceptions to this can be made, however, given prior player consent. Category:Rules